Duncan just never had a strong enough sidekick to repeat

[hitmantb]

Kareem had Magic.

Jordan had Pippen.

Shaq had Kobe.

LeBron had Wade/Bosh.

San Antonio is too small a market for mega stars, it is the peak of small market success, got bargain after bargain, players with huge heart like Parker/Ginobili/Leonard/Green, players who far exceeded their talent/expectations.

But at end of the day, raw talent greatly increases margin of error needed for repeats. Last time we had two dominant players was in 1999, and we went 15-2 in the post season.

The 0.4 in 2004? The year before Robert Horry's 3 rimmed out.

The Manu foul in 2006? We needed Robert Horry's miraculous 4th quarter, OT and go-ahead 3 in game 5 against the Pistons. We needed Robert Horry hip-check on Nash to turn that Suns series around in 2007.

The 28 seconds in 2013? In 2014 we had Ibaka's injury.

The point is, when your overall team is not strong enough, you rely much more on luck. You can get lucky one year (LeBron needed the Ray Allen 3 to repeat, but he won 2012 convincingly, even had enough raw talent to overcome Bosh injury in earlier rounds, and of course he played in the East), but without the raw talent it is very hard to be lucky two years in a row. Give Pop all the credit in the world, Phil would have never touched these mediocre rosters. Pop have to be far more creative to overcome the talent disadvantage, and a bit of backfire is expected.

[SouthernFried]

Go to bed...you need sleep. Your synapses ain't firing right...creating incoherent rambling.

[Nathan89]

Someone is always blowing it for him.

[cjw]

Someone is always blowing it for him.

Could use a Roy Hibbert quote

[Johnny RIngo]

Kareem, Jordan, Shaq, and Lebron never had a cancer like Tony Parker holding them back from repeating. Parker has always choked in every repeat year.

2004 vs LA:

.594 TS% - Manu
.534 TS% - Duncan
.421 TS% - Enrique

And Pop's plan was to give Tony the most shot attempts:

19 FGA/g - Enrique
15 FGA/g - Duncan
10 FGA/g - Manu

2006 vs Dallas:

.640 TS% - Manu
.615 TS% - Duncan
.478 TS% - Enrique

Duncan and Manu were beasting against the Mavs. Tony was chucking and wilting, holding them back.

2013 vs Heat:

.583 TS% - Kawhi
.554 TS% - Duncan
.472 TS% - Enrique

14.6 FGA/g - Enrique
14.6 FGA/g - Duncan
11.4 FGA/g - Kawhi

Outplayed by Mario Chalmers in games 6 and 7. lol MVP candidate. When Tony is your #1 option, you're ed.

[KaiRMD1]

Eh, he had enough.

[K...]

Cool story bro. We milked Parker and Manu for all they are worth.We got our money out of them. We won 5 and counting.

[therealtruth]

I think Phil would have repeated though. Pop got outcoached and it's not the first time. Doc Rivers put his team in the best position to win the series. Had them ready for every game. Used double screens Pop didn't figure out till game 7, etc.

[james evans]

Popovich doesn't know how to sit a mf down when he's playing bad. I don't give a damn how much he's making, sit his ass down.

[DieHardSpursFan1537]

.

[glen907]

Pops a great a coach but he's the reason we've never repeated

[mkurts]

Cool story bro. We milked Parker and Manu for all they are worth.We got our money out of them. We won 5 and counting.

Milked Ginobili you mean ? Parker is a perennial loser compared to Duncan and Ginobili.

Parker is all famine in the playoffs

[Mikeanaro]

I think Phil would have repeated though. Pop got outcoached and it's not the first time. Doc Rivers put his team in the best position to win the series. Had them ready for every game. Used double screens Pop didn't figure out till game 7, etc.

Its Pop´s fault, every time Spurs got killed by a scrub is because X scrub coach (Brooks, Spo) puts his weak dude but realizes the guy is scoring and playing good so he decides to use it for the game and guess what? it works.
Pop uses a bench guy, he plays good and BUM! GO BACK TO THE BENCH TONY/WHOEVER HE WANTS MUST PLAY, there were situations where even Dejuan Blair could create some mismatch and nothing, Doc Rivers wasnt afraid to use Glenn Davis.
So yeah, Phil would have repeated coaching the Spurs, on the other hand every monkey would have won at least one ring with those Bulls/Lakers teams, facts are facts but that doesnt hide Phil is a great coach.

[Pocho La Pantera]

Stfu

[Chillen]

I thought the Spurs not landing Pau was a huge blow for any repeat chances, he would have been the difference maker vs the Clips this series. Now Parker is another story.

[therealtruth]

Its Pop´s fault, every time Spurs got killed by a scrub is because X scrub coach (Brooks, Spo) puts his weak dude but realizes the guy is scoring and playing good so he decides to use it for the game and guess what? it works.
Pop uses a bench guy, he plays good and BUM! GO BACK TO THE BENCH TONY/WHOEVER HE WANTS MUST PLAY, there were situations where even Dejuan Blair could create some mismatch and nothing, Doc Rivers wasnt afraid to use Glenn Davis.
So yeah, Phil would have repeated coaching the Spurs, on the other hand every monkey would have won at least one ring with those Bulls/Lakers teams, facts are facts but that doesnt hide Phil is a great coach.

The sad thing is that Pop was more willing and quicker to make the adjustments last year in the playoffs. The difference between Pop and other coaches is they'll keep using something if it's working meanwhile Pop will keep using something even if it's not working. It's like he takes years off.